Dispensing packages for dispensing a predetermined quantity of the contents of the container are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,005,578, 3,141,579, 3,175,736, 3,224,650, 3,237,816, 3,036,742, 4,105,142, 3,465,920, 2,887,254, 3,512,681, and 2,873,050. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,237,816, a type of dispensing package is shown wherein the closure includes an outer skirt and an inner skirt and has a base wall from which a plunger projects downwardly into the bottle for sealingly engaging a portion of the container. When it is desired to dispense a predetermined quantity of the material, the hinge top is opened and the central portion of the closure depressed and the contents can enter beneath the base wall of the closure when the container is inverted. Such an arrangement comprises a plurality of parts, tight tolerances to prevent leakage while dispensing, and requires two hands, one to hold the container and the other to rotate the closure.
Accordingly, among the objectives of the present invention are to provide a dispensing package for dispensing a predetermined quantity of the contents of a container without the use of tools; which can be operated with one hand; which does not require removal of the closure; which can be readily adapted to include a tamper indicating device; and which can handle both liquid and dry products.
In accordance with the invention, the dispensing package comprising a container having a neck with an external thread defining an opening and a closure comprising a base wall and a peripheral skirt having internal threads engaging the external threads on the neck of the container. An inner member has a peripheral flange engaging the neck of the container and interposed between the neck and the base wall of the closure. The inner member includes a measuring portion defining a cavity for a predetermined quantity of the contents of the material. The base wall is made of flexible and elastic material and an integral plunger extends axially from the underside of the base wall and has an enlarged end normally sealingly closing an inlet port of the inner member. A hinge top is provided that seals a dispensing opening in the base wall. When the base wall is flexed inwardly, the plunger moves out of sealing engagement with the inlet port and the container can be inverted to permit a predetermined quantity of the contents of the container to move into the cavity of the inner member. The base wall is then permitted to flex back to its original position. When the top is moved out of sealing engagement with the dispensing opening, the predetermined quantity of the contents can be dispensed through the opening in the base wall by tilting the container.